Bebop Spoken There

John Donegan: ''What you take in through your ears can come out through your fingers.'' (Notes to Which Direction October, 2026)

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

19,057 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 921 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 29) 100.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

From This Moment On

October.

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 31: Saltburn Big Band + Durham Alumni Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Sat 31: East Coast Swing Band @ Cramlington Village Club, Park View, Cramlington NE23 6QJ. 7:30pm. £10.00. (from venue).

November

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Donna Hewitt (tenor sax, clarinet)
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Sarah Heneghan Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 03: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. guest tba
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: An Evening of Erykah Badu @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Cut Capers @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).
Thu 05: Northern Reaches @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Pete Tanton, Joe Steels, Laurence Blackadder, John Hirst.
Thu 05: Fergus McCreadie @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Monday, August 24, 2020

Livestream From The Globe: The Alice Grace Quartet/Quintet - August 22

Alice Grace (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass); Russ Morgan (drums)

'Full of elegance, melody, and wonderful singing and playing'

This remark in the comments box sums up this performance better than any reviewer can do. 'An hour of sheer jazz delights' I could have added to the comments. The band was well on form, the consistent yet adventurous bass, the skilled guitar, the drummer as great as we've come to expect, and our singer, classy, elegant, an example for other singers to follow.

So who is the fifth member of the quintet? That is Alice's unborn son, making his presence felt by kicking. Research shows that unborn babies respond to music, so tonight we met a future jazzer! He first heard Weaver of Dreams, with gentle scat and wordless vocalisation, then a beautiful version of Skylark, and a quick camera shot of the birds on our drummer's tee shirt!

There followed seven more songs, including an original Travelling Light (exquisite solo from the guitar); a Michael Jackson number, I Can't Help It.  Close Your Eyes featured a drum introduction, a lovely 'chock chock' sound, fours between drums and voice, and an extended ending based on the lyrics 'close your eyes'

I was very interested to hear Never Let Me Go, as I'd been wanting to hear this song for years, ever since reading the acclaimed science fantasy novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro. The song is featured in the novel which is a good read. I digress but thank you to Alice for that.  Secret Love featured hands on the drums, another sound I enjoy, wordplay rather than scat, and lively guitar and drum solos. The well-deserved encore was My Romance, and so the gig ended on a high.

Around 35 households were watching on YouTube, including Alice's parents, people in Wimbledon, Hexham, 5 people 'quaffing wine' in Tynemouth. The Globe is to be congratulated for very professional presentation, with introductory titles at the beginning, good camera work and sound, and welcoming remarks in the chat. I felt that they really cared that we were there, and so did the band.
Ann Alex

Weaver of Dreams; Skylark; Travelling Light; Don't Be That Way; Close Your Eyes; Never Let Me Go; I Can't Help It; Secret Love; My Romance.
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